Important Mussel Facts

1. The mussel’s ‘beard’ is known as the byssus. It is used by the mussel to attach itself to surfaces with the aid of a secreted adhesive cement.

2. Mussels are usually prepared by steaming over a medium heat for about six minutes or until the shells open.

3. Because mussels contain liquid that emerges during the steaming process, you don’t have to add water when you’re steaming fresh mussels.

4. You shouldn’t be concerned if a batch of mussels is of different colours: pale white meat indicates a male mussel, and a warmer, more orangey colour, a female.

5. Mussel juice is delicious and can be drunk hot; it’s particularly tasty when mixed with a little melted butter, and can also be consumed chilled with tomato juice.

6. Mussels rely on fish to carry their eggs in their gills during part of their life cycle.

7. When buying mussels, the shells should be bright, undamaged and closed. Open mussels should be given a squeeze and a tap – if they close they are still alive; if not they are dead and unfit for consumption.

8. Mussels affix themselves to substrata such as rocks by their byssal threads or ‘beards’. These are produced as a liquid, which sets in contact with seawater.

9. The byssal threads are so adhesive they can even cling to Teflon; scientists are trying to develop a mussel-based adhesive for use in eye surgery.

10. Mussel meat is rich in protein, and has much less fat, many more mineral nutrients and a quarter of the calories of beef.